Test the Store
"Test the Store" | |
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The Office episode | |
Episode no. | Season 8 Episode 17 |
Directed by | Brent Forrester |
Written by | Mindy Kaling |
Featured music | "Clocks" by Coldplay |
Cinematography by | Matt Sohn |
Editing by | Claire Scanlon |
Production code | 817 |
Original air date | March 1, 2012[1] |
Guest appearances | |
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"Test the Store" is the seventeenth episode of the
The series—presented as if it were a real documentary—depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. In the episode, Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) attempts to put on a theatrical presentation to impress Nellie Bertram (Catherine Tate). Meanwhile, in Scranton, Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) comes to work with an embarrassing black eye.
"Test the Store" contains many cultural allusions, including several to the NBC action-comedy series Chuck. The episode received mixed reviews from critics. According to the Nielsen Media Research, "Test the Store" was viewed by an estimated 4.95 million viewers and received a 2.5 rating/7% share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49. The episode ranked first in its time slot and was also ranked as the highest-rated NBC program of the night.
Synopsis
At the Sabre store opening,
In Scranton,
Production
"Test the Store" was written by executive producer
The episode also marks the eleventh appearance of Lindsey Broad who plays Cathy, Pam's replacement during her
Cultural references
"Test the Store" featured several direct allusions and references to the action-comedy series Chuck, which had just finished its five-season run on NBC on January 27, 2012.[2][8] In the episode, a cut-out of Zachary Levi is used by the sales team to garner support for the Sabre Pyramid; Jim and Dwight both mention that Jim was originally supposed to dress as the titular character Chuck; during Jim's presentation, Jim mentions that the Sabre Pyramid has the capability to watch movies and TV shows ranging from "Chuck to Cars 2"; and lastly, Dwight admits to Nellie that the before-mentioned presentation could have used more Chuck references.[2]
As evidenced by the title, Sabre's Pyramid tablet makes a reappearance.[2] The device serves as a parody of several tablet computers, specifically the Apple iPad.[9] B. J. Novak described the device as "really the worst piece of technology that you've ever seen."[10] The device was created by Paul Lieberstein, who originally envisioned that the device only had the rights to the 1993 film Coneheads.[11] The concept was then expanded and changed: the Pyramid would only have the rights to Chuck and Cars 2.[11]
The episode contains several direct mentions to popular music. Nellie mentions that, when she was younger, she tried out for the
Reception
Ratings
"Test the Store" originally aired on NBC in the United States on March 1, 2012.[1] The episode was viewed by an estimated 4.95 million viewers and received a 2.5 rating/7% share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49.[13] This means that it was seen by 2.5% of all 18- to 49-year-olds, and 7% of all 18- to 49-year-olds watching television at the time of the broadcast.[13] The episode finished first in its time slot, beating re-runs of the CBS drama Person of Interest, the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy, and The CW drama series Supernatural.[13] In addition, "Test the Store" was the highest-rated NBC television episode of the night.[13]
Reviews
The episode received mostly mixed reviews from critics. Myles McNutt from The A.V. Club awarded the episode a C rating, noting that "'Test the Store' was just too dumb to build any further momentum; I wish I had a better word for it, but I just can't think of one." However, McNutt appreciated Jim's presentation, noting that "the final presentation was a pretty decent setpiece."[14] What Culture! reviewer Joseph Kratzer awarded the episode three out of five stars, noting that the episode fell victim to "the overall lack of focus and believability that has plagued The Office all season."[15] Jeffrey Hyatt from Screen Crave gave the episode a review of seven out of ten, noting that "The Office continues to get the comedy boost it needs from the Florida storyline." Hyatt called the scene featuring Dwight and Jim imitating Kelly and Ryan's mom as "one of my favorite moments of the season so far." Despite this, he did call the episode "uneven," noting that the Scranton story-line was "ho-hum."[12] Dan Forcella from TV Fanatic awarded the episode four out of five stars and praised Jim's presentation, writing, "Between Jim's outfit and makeup, the fact that he embraced the presentation throughout, and all of the Chuck references, I was speechless by the end of that thing."[16]
Many reviews were critical of the Scranton sub-plot. McNutt wrote that, "Andy getting hit by a girl plays into the most weak, infantile parts of his character, and making Pam his accomplice was a complete non-starter."[14] Kratzer wrote, "Don't get me wrong, the idea of Andy getting punched in the face by a female fifth grader isn't necessarily unbelievable or unfunny, it's just that it had so little relevance or realism that it was difficult to follow for more than five minutes and it constituted an entire plot line."[15]
References
- ^ a b "The Office : Test the Store". Zap2it. Retrieved January 31, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Mindy Kaling (writer), Brent Forrester (director) (March 1, 2012). "Test the Store". The Office. Season 8. Episode 17. NBC.
- The Office. Season 8. Episode 10. NBC.
- ^ "The Office Season 8 spoilers and news". OfficeTally. Retrieved December 27, 2011.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (January 17, 2012). "David Koechner Inks NBC Talent Deal, Eyes Greg Daniels' 'Friday Night Dinner' & 'Office'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 31, 2012.
- ^ a b Ausiello, Michael (September 8, 2011). "The Office Exclusive: 'Til Death's Lindsey Broad Befriends Pam". TVLine. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
- Universal Studios Home Entertainment. 2012. The Office: Season Eight Disc 3
- ^ Dos Santos, Kristin. "Chuck Is Over. (Sob!) So What Did Those Final Moments Mean?!". E! News Online. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
- ^ Christian Zibreg (September 30, 2011). "NBC's The Office lampoons tablet craze: Meet the Pyramid tablet". 9to5Mac. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
- ^ Hibberd, James (January 30, 2012). "'Office' scoop: Cast talks Rainn Wilson spin-off, renewal odds". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
- ^ a b Gonzalez, Sandra. "'The Office' scoop: B.J. Novak gives BIG finale intel, teases more Florida fun". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
- ^ a b Hyatt, Jeffrey. "The Office: Season 8 Episode 17: Test The Store – TV Review". Screen Crave. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
- ^ a b c d Kondolojy, Amanda (March 2, 2012). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'Awake' & 'American Idol' Adjusted Up". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on March 4, 2012. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
- ^ a b McNutt, Myles. "Test the Store". The A.V. Club. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
- ^ a b Kratzer, Joseph. "TV Review: The Office 8.17, "Test the Store"". What Culture!. Archived from the original on March 5, 2012. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
- ^ Forcella, Dan. "Review: Pyramid Scheme". TV Fanatic. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
External links
- "Test the Store" at NBC.com
- "Test the Store" at IMDb